When a projectile is fired from a rifled gun barrel, the projectile and barrel exert rotational force on one another. The rotational force exerted on the gun barrel moves the barrel up, down or sideways as the gun is fired, whereby the gun's accuracy is impaired. I address this problem via my novel recoil shock absorber for guns. This recoil absorber has a piston in a fluid filled cylinder. The piston not only translates relative to the cylinder to absorb the backward recoil force component on the gun but also spins to counteract the rotational force imparted to the gun by the projectile. The piston's rotation is effected by channels thereon which have helical twists centered on a common axis of the cylinder and piston. As the piston translates during recoil, fluid flowing through the channels rotates the piston. My recoil absorber also has means to controlledly vary the spin rate of the piston, thereby allowing the recoil absorber to compensate for differing angular forces imparted to the gun by differing kinds of projectiles fired therefrom.